The book I chose to read for summer reading was The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X. The book described the interesting and inspirational life of the activist Malcolm X. Malcolm and his family were attacked by the Ku Klux Klan when Malcolm was little. Malcolm was a troubled youth. He dropped out of school and became a drug dealer in the streets of Boston. He was arrested and sent to prison for 10 years after being caught in a burglary scheme. During his jail time, Malcolm read constantly and converted to the teachings of prophet Elijah Muhammad, called the Nation of Islam. The Nation of Islam were a group of black Muslims who believed that in order to secure freedom, justice and equality, black Americans needed to establish their own state entirely separate from white Americans. Malcolm X became the spokesperson for this …show more content…
He encouraged blacks to stop racism by any means necessary including violence. Malcolm believed there was no such thing as a nonviolent revolution. By the 1960’s Malcolm was a leading voice in the Civil Rights movement. In 1963 Malcolm was shocked to find out his idol Elijah Muhammad was violating his own teachings. This led him to leave the Nation of Islam in 1964 and founded the Muslim Mosque, which was his own religious organization. He then became a Sunni Muslim and took a trip to Mecca. Malcolm was continuing to express his teachings to his followers as conflict with the Nation of Islam intensified, and Malcolm and his family were receiving many threats. On Feburary 22nd, 1965 Malcolm was adrresing an audience in Manhattan, when 3 Nation of Islam members shot Malcolm 21 times and he was pronounced dead. Malcolm X is regarded as one of the most influential African Americans of all time and his teachings and legacy will never be forgotten. The theme I found in this book is the belief of humanity as a basic right no matter what your race or